famous faces added an air of
relatability to the general public, but
the competitors were mainly veteran
builders.

To add more excitement to
the matches, arena hazards
operated by “Pulverizer Pete” like
the pneumatic rams known as “Hell
Raisers” could spring into action at
any time.

As the show gained in
popularity, celebrities began to get
in on the act too. BattleBots was
featured on an episode of the
Tonight Show, where Jay Leno
revealed a BattleBot of his own:
Chin-Killa (Figure 3).

The show was also featured in
an episode of the popular sitcom
Malcolm in the Middle. Soon, a
clothing line and remote controlled
replicas of the robots were available
for sale, introducing a new
generation of viewers to robot
combat. The show would go on to
have a five season run, but the
lasting legacy would endure, with
BattleBots becoming the popular
face of robot combat in America
from that point on.

BattleBots Today

The end of the television series
in 2002 was by no means the
end of BattleBots. Since the
show’s end, BattleBots has
continued to host tournaments
across the country. BotsIQ — a
competition sponsored by
BattleBots — focuses on teaching
robotics, as well as other STEM
areas to middle and high school
aged students.

The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA ( www2.fi.edu)
was host to the Northeast
Robotics Club’s ( www.nerc.us)
5th Autumn Event last year on
October 15th.

Forty-five Bots had entered,
spread over the five different weight
classes — from the 1 lb Ants up to
the 30 lb Featherweight and
Sportsman classes. With few no
shows, it meant there would be a
busy fight schedule.

Competitors started arriving
just after 7:00 am, and fights
started at 10:00 pm when the
venue opened to the public. Pit
space was tighter than last year
with more space allocated to the
audience, but this proved
worthwhile with good crowds
throughout the day. A new feature
this year was a large flat screen TV
facing the pits. This was much
appreciated as it allowed even
those busy repairing their bots to
keep up with the action and
reduced the press of competitors
around the arena for the most
exciting fights.